1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates to treadmills and, more particularly, to a treadmill having a foam-supported belt that provides a cushioned and force-absorbing layer for relieving stress exerted on a user's legs during use of the treadmill.
2. Prior Art
In 2005, over 50 million Americans spent more than $5 billion on exercise equipment—proving, if such a fact were in doubt, that exercise and fitness are not only big business, but a major concern to a great many people. Exercise equipment ranges from stair-climbing machines and elliptical trainers to rowing machines, free weights, cable-guided weight training machines, stationary bicycles, and treadmills. But while a first-rate treadmill offers some great features—varying speeds and inclines, timed courses with “hills” and “flats,” all sorts of programmable options to tailor one's run to one's personal needs and goals—all of the treadmills currently on the market share one drawback, and that is the non-resilient, unforgiving nature of the tread itself, the belt-like surface that one runs on. Even with good running shoes, running on a hard surface like asphalt is hard on the feet, ankles, knees, and back; while running on a softer, more forgiving surface such as sod spares the body and its joints from harsh, jarring impacts and repetitive-stress injuries.
Conventional treadmills rely on a continuous belt which is driven in a continuous loop by motor-driven rollers, so that, as the belt moves from front to back, the runner runs, yet remains in place. But where the belts of other treadmills are thin, hard, and unforgiving, thereby exerting stress on a user's lower limbs.
Accordingly, a need remains for a treadmill having a foam-supported treadmill belt that provides a cushioned and force-absorbing layer to overcome prior art shortcomings. The present disclosure satisfies such a need by providing a combined treadmill and foam-supported treadmill belt that is convenient and easy to use, lightweight yet durable in design, versatile in its applications, and designed for relieving stress exerted on a user's legs during use of the treadmill.